Honda’s new, 5th-generation City subcompact has been unveiled in a world premiere in Thailand, featuring a newly-developed 1.0-liter turbocharged VTEC engine, the latest infotainment system and improved packaging.
The new City is available in four variants, with increased equipment level but lower pricing for every variant:
- RS Bt 739,000
- SV Bt 665,000
- V Bt 609,000
- S Bt 579,500
However, Honda has decided not to offer the Honda Sensing intelligent all-round safety package that includes features like lane departure warning, blind sport detection and automatic braking (available in the Accord, Civic and CR-V) for the new City. Nissan and Mitsubishi, meanwhile, are offering the package in the new Almera and the 2019 facelifted Mirage/Attrage.
Despite its smaller size than the previous 1.5-liter engine, the new E20-compatible 3-cylinder turbo engine pumps out 122ps of maximum power and as much as 173Nm of torque (up from 117ps and 146Nm), promising peppy performance when mated to a continuously-variable transmission (CVT) with 7-speed manual mode and paddle shift.
Honda claims an average fuel economy of 23.8 km/liter and Euro 5-level CO2 emissions of 99g/km.
The front end features projector headlights, LED daytime running lights and chrome front grille, while the side profile is accentuated by a sharp shoulderline and 15-inch alloy wheels.
There’s a black interior for S and V, while the SV gets leather seats with a two-tone ivory-black interior plus piano black console and chrome inside door openers.
Advanced features include multi-information display, 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Siri Voice Control and Bluetooth connectivity.
The suspension set-up comprises of McPherson strut in front and torsion beam at the rear, while stopping power comes from vented discs up front and drum brakes at the rear.
The RS variant comes with sporty exterior upgrades including a gloss black front grille with RS logo emblem, sporty front bumper and grille, LED Fog Lights, black sideview mirrors and rear spoiler and 16-inch wheels.
Inside, there is suede leather seats with red stitching plus multi-information display with red illumination. The RS is also available with a special Ignite Red exterior color.
Safety features include six airbags, ABS brakes, Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Hill Start Assist (HSA), and multi-angle rearview camera.
Since the City was first introduced in 1996, more than 4 million units have been sold in over 60 countries.
In Thailand, Honda plans to sell 3,500 units of the City per month.
